For Parents or Guardians

Your student is about to embark on one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of college life: studying away. As a parent or guardian, you can share the excitement and learn from your student’s experiences, and we’re here to help you and your student in any way we can.

Our Student-Centered Philosophy

Every aspect of the Global Opportunities program, including preparation for it, is a learning experience. Therefore, we encourage students to take personal responsibility in handling as many matters as possible independently.

We request that you share your questions and concerns with your student, who can relay those questions and concerns to the Global Opportunities staff. Additionally, in many cases, federal privacy laws (FERPA) prevent us from sharing information about students with their families.

Financing Global Opportunities

Global Opportunities strives to make our programming financially accessible to all students. Financial planning is a part of the conversation between students and our office as they begin exploring their options.

Upon acceptance to a program, students are expected to submit a deposit to Global Opportunities to confirm their participation on the program. This deposit will appear as a credit on their Temple bill and will be applied towards the overall costs of the program.

As all of our programs are for credit, students will be billed for Temple tuition based on their affiliation with Main Campus. Students are encouraged to utilize the Bursar’s tuition calculator to confirm their tuition rates for the term they will be away.

Each program consists of two types of costs: billable and non-billable. Billable costs include Temple tuition (based on their tuition rate at Main Campus), the University services fee and the Global Opportunities program fee. Students are eligible to utilize their financial aid towards their program costs and are encouraged to meet with Student Financial Services for further details. For specifics about what is included in the Global Opportunities program fee, review the Finances page for the respective program of interest.

Non-billable costs include, but are not limited to, passports and visas, flights, meals, daily expenses and cell phone rentals. Students are expected to finance these through personal means rather than have them applied to their Temple bill.

Withdrawing from a Program

Should a student wish to withdraw from a program, they must notify Global Opportunities in writing. Students must adhere to Temple University’s tuition policy in regards to refunds for tuition. Each program has their own refund policy in regards to the program fee. Students are encouraged to read their program’s Fee Payment and Refund Policy carefully when enrolling in their respective program.

Communicating with our Office

Upon their arrival, students are often excited by the idea of life in a new location and might neglect to communicate with their families at home. Global Opportunities students are encouraged to communicate with their families within 48 hours of their arrival, once their internet or phone connections are established in their new location. The on-site program staff or the Klein College Global Opportunities office will notify you immediately if there is a serious problem.

Adjusting to a New Home

After the excitement of being in a new place wears off, it’s not uncommon for students to experience a period of adjustment. Don’t worry! Almost all students experience some form of transitional adjustment during (and sometimes even after) a Global Opportunities experience. Fortunately, most students adapt quite successfully, become more independent, learn a great deal about themselves and their location, and thrive like never before. If your student’s adjustment period is concerning or prolonged, contact on-site program staff or the Klein College Global Opportunities office.

Calling Home

With the widespread usage of cell phones, connecting with home is easier than ever. Students traveling internationally must obtain a local number once they are in-country.

Regardless of your student’s destination, we recommend establishing a weekly phone or email plan. This will encourage your student to embrace their study away adventures without a reminder of what they are “missing out on” at home.

For students who are in international locations, Skype, Viber and WhatsApp are popular and generally inexpensive communication methods.

Resolving Problems

Should your student encounter problems while studying away, we recommend they consult with on-site staff, who are usually in the best position to help them resolve issues. Typically, students’ first inclination is to contact family, who in turn contact the Global Opportunities office.

Though it’s helpful for Global Opportunities to be aware of the situation, a lag in informing the on-site program director can result in a delayed resolution to a problem. If you’re contacted about an issue first, encourage your student to speak with the on-site faculty program leader or director.

Health and Safety

Temple University and Klein College consider the health and safety of our students to be one of our top priorities. Our advisors at the host and home institutions, parents, program staff and students all work together to ensure healthy, safe and successful learning experiences. Students accepted to Global Opportunities programs will receive detailed guidelines on how to prepare with regard to health and safety. We encourage students to review this information thoroughly and share it with their parents and families.

Student Health

The physical and mental well-being of students are fundamental components of successful and happy study away ventures. Students should schedule checkups with their care providers before they depart, as even mild physical or psychological disorders can become more serious as they are separated from their regular support systems.

​If students have pre-existing physical or mental health conditions, we urge them to alert a Global Opportunities staff member, as well as the faculty program leader, or someone on the program staff immediately. If health-related issues arise during the program, on-site staff are knowledgeable about local resources and are usually in the best position to help them resolve things quickly.

Health Insurance

All students participating in international Global Opportunities programs are provided with international coverage that includes accident and sickness expenses, emergency medical evacuation, and repatriation of remains. Effective with the fall 2017 term, students traveling abroad will be covered by Temple's new international health insurance plan, administered by International SOS. Like the existing security and advisory services provided by International SOS described below, the cost of this coverage will be paid by the Office of Risk Management and Treasury. Travelers will no longer be required to purchase international health insurance coverage individually.

Though it’s not required that students have health insurance for domestic locations, we recommend that students obtain and review their current plans to ensure they are covered while interning in another U.S. city.

Safety Precautions

For students traveling internationally, Global Opportunities recommends they review the U.S. Department of State Travel website, which provides information about crime and security, health and medical conditions, and locations of U.S. embassies and any consular offices through country-specific information sheets about every country in the world. We encourage you and your student to review that information for any countries to which they might be traveling.

Students participating in domestic-based programs should become familiar with their local police and fire precincts, and become aware of local concerns by keeping up with regional news.

Emergencies

If your student encounters a problem while studying away, they should first contact on-site staff or an emergency responder. If those options aren’t available, contact us.

Outside business hours, call Temple University’s Campus Safety Services office at 215-204-1234. Be sure to leave your name, the name of the student and the Global Opportunities program, and a number where you can be reached. Campus Safety will contact a Global Opportunities staff member, who will return the call as soon as possible.